Perfect Christmas
by Karen-Charlene
Summary: My Christmas fic for 2011. Catherine and Lou celebrate a nice, family Christmas with their daughter. Merry Christmas to all! AU


**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own CSI nor the characters, but I do own Sophie (:**

**Rating: T.**

**A/N: Here's my Christmas fic for 2011, hope you like it (:**

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><p><strong>Perfect Christmas<strong>

Catherine Vartann woke up at the feel of kisses being peppered all over her face. Giggling, she opened her eyes to see her husband, Louis Vartann, trailing kisses on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and finally, on her lips.

"Good morning," She giggled again.

"Merry Christmas," Lou smiled down at her. "Look what I got." He was held a mistletoe above his head.

Catherine laughed softly and leaned up to kiss him. Dropping the mistletoe on the bed, he kissed her back, sneaking his tongue out and caressing her lower lip with it, and she willingly opened her mouth and invited his tongue to dance with hers, eliciting a moan from both of them. The kiss got heated with every second that went by, Catherine's arms wrapped around Lou and Lou's hands roaming her body until they reached her butt and squeezed gently, pulling her up and closer to his body.

Both were grinding against each other in a steady rhythm and moaning into each other's mouth when the door flew open and a six year old girl jumped onto the bed, breaking the passionate kiss.

"Mommy, Mommy, Santa's been!" The little, excited girl bounced on the bed with a massive smile on her face.

"He has?" Catherine smiled, sounding just as excited as her daughter. "Well, why don't you give us five minutes to wake up and we'll be right down to open the presents."

"Actually, I gotta go," Lou jumped into the conversation, glancing at his watch, "Brass called earlier, they need me."

"What? But it's Christmas." Catherine looked up at him, not even trying to hide the disappointment.

"It doesn't bother the killers." He looked at the two girls on the bed, both looking at him with sadness in their eyes. "I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you, I promise." He got out of the bed and started getting dressed.

"But you'll be back to help me open up my presents, right, Daddy?" Sophie looked up at him with her big blue eyes, just like her mothers.

"I'll try." He pulled on his jacket, and then bent down and kissed Sophie's head. The little girl smiled and ran downstairs, leaving him alone with an angry Catherine.

"I'm sorry, baby; you remember what it's like."

Catherine attempted to smile. "It's okay; it's the job. Just make it quick."

"I promise." Lou smiled and bent down again, kissing her lips softly before leaving. She sighed and flopped back on the bed.

Later that day Catherine was curled up on the sofa with a blanket covering her and a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, watching with a smile on her face as her little daughter played with her new dolls under the decorated tree, when the front door opened and Lou walked into the house.

"Daddy!" Sophie quickly got up and ran over to him with one of the dolls in her hands and help up her arms for him to pick up.

"Hey, princess!" He picked her up and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Look what I got," She said excited, holding up the doll.

From the corner of his eye Lou saw Catherine standing in the doorway to the living room with her arms folded and watching them with a smile, and then he turned back to Sophie, "Why don't you go and play with your new presents while I talk to your mommy and then I'll come and see what you got from Santa?"

"Okay, Daddy." Sophie smiled and he put her back down to run back into the living room.

"Hey," He smiled at Catherine and she smiled back and walked over to him.

"Hey." She hugged him and gave him a kiss. "How was work?"

Lou sighed, "Exhausting."

"Well, at least you're done with it now," She smiled softly and stroked his cheek.

"Actually…"

"What? Don't tell me you have to go back."

"I'm on my break; I need to go back soon." Catherine sighed and took her hand away. "I'm sorry, baby, I really am." He took her hand back gently and kissed her palm.

"Forget about it." She turned around and walked upstairs.

"Daddy, are you coming to play with me?" Sophie called from the living room.

He turned his head to look at his daughter, and then at the stairs. "Sure, honey, just give me a second." He went up the stairs and into his and Catherine's bedroom to find her sitting on the edge of the bed with her head down. He went over to her and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"Honey, look at me," He said softly and she looked at him through her lashes.

"I'm sorry; you know how much I hate it when work takes me away from you. There's nothing I'd like more than to spend Christmas with my two favorite girls."

"Then stay."

"I wish I could." His thumb stroked her hands softly, but she pulled them away and got up, facing away from him. He got up as well and looked at her sadly from where he was standing.

"You know I really hate this," She said. "I gave up my job two years ago so I could be with you and Sophie because I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes I made with Lindsey."

"Do you want me to quit my job? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, I don't want you to quit your job." She finally turned to face him. "I just wish you were around more often. You were even late for Sophie's birthday last year because you were questioning a suspect. She needs you; I need you! We haven't had sex in almost a month! And whenever we do start something you get called for work."

"I know and I'm sorry." He walked over to her and held her hands again. "I already told you I'd make it up to you."

"Yeah, you keep saying that." She pulled her hands away. "I'm sick of you not being home. If not for me, then at least for Sophie; she needs her dad."

"I know. I just need to close this case, and then I'm all yours."

Catherine sighed, "Well, at least go play with her now, she's waiting for you." He glanced at his watch and then looked up at her with an apologetic look on his face. "No, Lou. No," She warned, "She's been asking for you all morning."

"I'm really sorry, my break is almost over."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to stop herself from saying something she'd regret. "Don't forget we're invited to my mom's for dinner tonight," She said without looking at him and left the room.

Lou looked after her and sighed before walking downstairs, kissing Sophie goodbye, and leaving for work again.

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><p>"I'm just saying that if he cares about his job more than he cares about you and Sophie, maybe he's not worth it," Lily said as she and Catherine set the dinner table before all the guests would show up.<p>

"He is worth it, Mom, and he doesn't care about his job more than he cares about me and Sophie."

"Could've fooled me," Lily said.

Catherine stopped setting the table and looked up at her mother with her hands on her hips. "Why do you hate him so much, Mom?"

"I don't hate him."

"Yes, you do. Since the day you found out we were dating you didn't like him, not to talk about how you tried to convince me that I could find someone better five minutes before we got married."

"I just thought that marrying someone from work wasn't a good idea, and see? I was right. He's never home; he doesn't care about you and Sophie-"

"He does care about me and Sophie," Catherine cut her off. "He's just busy; he's got a lot on his mind. I'm sure he'll be here tonight."

"Don't keep your hopes up," Lily mumbled as Catherine went back to setting the table. "I'm telling you, the only good thing that turned out from this marriage is Sophie."

Catherine glared at her mother one last time before finishing setting the table and going into the kitchen to join the other guests.

The evening went by with Catherine constantly looking at her watch and Lou still hasn't shown up. Eventually Catherine gave up, knowing that he wasn't coming. So, she spent the evening making small talks with people and spending time with her daughter and mother.

Just when Sophie was starting to get tired and Catherine was thinking of leaving early, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Catherine got up, went to the door, and opened it, surprised to see her husband standing on the other side.

Before she could say anything he spoke up, letting himself into the house, "I got someone from days to cover for me, I told Brass I'm not working till the holiday is over, I turned off my phone… and I'm all yours," He said the last sentence softly, gently backing Catherine against the door and kissing her softly.

When the kiss broke she opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her, "And I booked you, me and Sophie a vacation for the holiday? What do you think of Paris?"

A big smile spread across Catherine's face and she cupped his face and pulled him into another kiss. "Thank you." She pulled back slightly and rested her forehead against his. "And I'm sorry for being a bitchy wife earlier, I know what this job is like and I don't blame you."

"No, you were right." He cupped her cheeks in his hands and caressed her cheekbones with his thumb. "This job does take me away from you and it's not fair on both of you. But I promise it's gonna change; I'll try and work less hours and always get out earlier on special occasions."

"On don't work on holidays," Catherine added with a sweet smile.

"And I won't work on holidays," Lou smiled and kissed her again just as Sophie ran over.

"Daddy!" She yelled with a big smile on her face and hugged his legs.

He laughed softly and picked her up. "Hey, princess. Do you wanna go home and show me what you got?"

"And you'll play with me?" The little girl looked at him with her big eyes.

"And I'll play with you," He smiled.

"And you won't go to work?"

"I won't go to work, I promise. Tonight I'm all yours." He kissed her cheek and then wrapped his arm around Catherine's waist, pulling her closer, and hugged the two girls he loved. "Let's go home."

"Let's just go say goodbye to everyone," Catherine smiled and pulled away. "Come on, Sophie, come say goodbye to grandma." Sophie wriggled out of Lou's arms and held her mother's hand he they both made their way back into the living room, Lou following behind.

After almost two hours of all the three playing with Sophie's new toys, Sophie finally fell asleep and Lou carried her upstairs to bed. When he came back down Catherine was waiting on the sofa under a blanket. He smiled and joined her and she instantly cuddled up to him.

For a few minutes they just sat there in silence, curled up with each other, and then Lou reached for his pocket and pulled out mistletoe. "Look what I got," He smiled, holding the mistletoe above his head.

Catherine's lips twitched into a big smile and she cupped his cheek in her hand and pressed her lips to his. They sat there, lips softly caressing and tongues gently touching, touching and caressing each other everywhere they could.

That's the Christmas they both wanted.

A nice Christmas at home with no work, just their little, perfect family.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading. Leave me a review (:<strong>

**-Zohar.**


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